SINGAPORE: Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean has thrown down the gauntlet to the Workers' Party (WP), asking the Opposition party to prove that it is "at least able to run a town council", in a sharp reference to the ongoing court case faced by the WP-run Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council. He also questioned WP's motives in eyeing the neighbouring constituencies such as Fengshan SMC.
"When elected you have two responsibilities: One is contribute to national policy-making, one is to manage your town council well," Mr Teo said on Friday (Aug 14).
Mr Teo - MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC - gave the example of how Punggol East SMC, which used to be managed under the same town council as his constituency but broke away when the WP wrested control of the ward in a 2013 by-election, went from being in a town council with a surplus to one with a deficit.
"Essentially what happened was this: Hougang town council was running a deficit, they took over Aljunied, a town council which was in surplus (following the 2011 General Election). They took over Punggol East from Pasir Ris-Punggol town council which was also in surplus. Now the whole Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council is in deficit," he said.
"How did that happen, how did a large surplus turn into deficit? Where did the money go?
"Residents of Punggol East used to be part of my town council. I was very sorry to hand them over. But we handed it over in good order, with surpluses, to WP. Now they're part of a town council that is in deficit. I feel quite bad about that too."
Mr Teo said he wondered if other constituencies eyed by the WP at the coming General Election - the party has indicated it will field 28 candidates, spanning five GRCs and five SMCs - would face the same issues.
Referring to a post by WP chairman Sylvia Lim on her recently-started Instagram account, the Deputy Prime Minister said: "Now we see the chairman of the town council saying that Fengshan SMC looks quite delicious. What's going to happen? You're going to swallow up Fengshan? For what purpose? To serve the residents of Fengshan? Or is Fengshan delicious because you want to add it to the pot? And help the town council with the deficit?”
